Systems for controlling devices distributed throughout an office building, factory, home or other location have become desirable over the past several years. Such systems commonly utilize a wall switch to directly control the operations and functions of one or more devices. The devices can be connected to and used to control one or more appliances (i.e., lights, shades, awnings, and others). Commonly, wall switches are connected to appliances with only two wires, with other wires extending from the switch to a power source. However, currently available appliances commonly utilize and require multiple connections to control panels in order to control the functions and operation of an appliance. For example, a window covering is often connected, using five wires, to control panels that power the window covering up and down (and/or open and closed), tilt vanes in the window covering, and the like. When installed in an existing structure, such as a home or office, five wire connections must be added before a control panel can be used to provide hard wired control of the window coverings. Adding these five wire hard-wired connections can add significant expense to any window covering installation project.
Further, many existing window coverings 115 (and/or other appliances) are often connected by a two wire connection 125 to a wall switch 125, which when “closed” provides power to the window covering. These two wire connections, however, commonly provide for only limited functionality such as moving the window covering up/down (i.e., opening or closing the window covering) by controlling the duration and polarity of a current flowing through a motor provided with the window covering. As shown in FIG. 1, in order to provide additional control features, such as vane tilt control, an adapter 100 can be added. Such adapters 100 commonly include at least two and often three or more additional control wires 105 that are also often connected to a switch or a control panel 110.
Further, existing installations of motorized window coverings commonly require separate control systems for each window covering. Such control systems also commonly require multiple wires extending from a control panel, such as one mounted in a wall, to the motor(s) used to control the window covering.
Thus, a need exists for an apparatus, system and method for controlling one or more window coverings or other apparatus using a switch that is connected to the window covering(s) by only two wires.